The present invention relates generally to sliders for reclosable fasteners, and, more particularly, sliders that assist in opening and closing polymeric bags.
Polymeric bags are popular household items that are used in a variety of applications including storage of food. The addition of reclosable fasteners or zippers to these bags has further enhanced their utility and the addition of a slider has made the fasteners easier to open and close. The fasteners include complementary first and second profiles that engage each other to close the bag.
One problem encountered in installing the slider to the fastener is distortion to the first and second profiles of the fastener. The profiles may be distorted when the slider is placed onto the fastener. More specifically, the profiles may be distorted from internal shoulders of the slider that partially form a cavity of the slider. To assist in preventing distortion to the profiles when inserting the slider onto the fastener, the slider may be constructed to have improved flexibility. These flexible sliders, however, do not generally have a desirable stiffness to remain on the fastener during normal use by a consumer.
To address this problem, some sliders have been developed to be assembled or closed around the first and second profiles of the fastener. These sliders are assembled over the profiles by the use of interlocking structures molded into various portions of the slider. It has also been suggested to incorporate additional part(s) to provide stiffness to the slider. Another solution that has been applied is to fold the slider over the fastener, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,208. Other solutions have been to cut the profile and insert the slider over a cut end, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,760. These solutions, however, include additional steps that result in a more complicated and typically lesser efficient manufacturing process.
A need therefore exists for an improved slider that can be inserted over the profiles of the fastener with little or no distortion, while providing a desirable stiffness to remain on the fastener during normal use.
According to one embodiment, a slider for a reclosable fastener for plastic bags comprises a body. The body includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener. The first side has at least one slot for separating the first side into at least two sections. The second side has at least one slot for separating the second side into at least two sections. Each of the slots extends from respective ends of the first and second sides opposite the top and extends through the respective first and second sides.
According to another embodiment, a unitary slider for a reclosable fastener for plastic bags comprises a unitary body. The body includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener. The first side has at least two slots for separating the first side into at least three sections. The second side has at least two slots for separating the second side into at least three sections. Each of the slots extends from respective ends of the first and second sides opposite the top and extends through the respective sides. Each of the slots on the first side corresponds to a respective slot of the second side.
According to yet another embodiment, a slider for a reclosable fastener for plastic bags comprises a body. The body includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener. The first side has at least two sections that are partially separated by at least one first weakened portion so as to assist in placing the slider onto the fastener. The second side has at least two sections that are partially separated by at least one second weakened portion so as to assist in placing the slider onto the fastener. The first and second weakened portions extend from respective ends of the first and second sides opposite the top and extend through the respective first and second sides.
According to another embodiment, a fastener and slider arrangement for plastic bags comprises a fastener and a slider. The fastener includes first and second tracks that each have first and second ends, and first and second end terminations at respective first and second ends of the first and second tracks. The first and second tracks include respective first and second interlocking profiles. The slider is mounted on the first and second tracks. The slider includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener. The first side has at least one slot for separating the first side into at least two sections. The second side has at least one slot for separating the second side into at least two sections. Each of the slots extends from respective ends of the first and second sides opposite the top and extends through the respective first and second sides.
According to one method of inserting a slider onto a reclosable fastener extending along a mouth of a plastic bag, the fastener includes a first track with a first profile and a second track with a second profile being releasably engageable to the first profile. The slider is slidably mounted to the fastener and includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener. The first side has at least one slot for separating the first side into at least two sections. The second side has at least one slot for separating the second side into at least two sections. Each of the slots extends from respective ends of the first and second sides opposite the top and extends through the respective sides. The sides and top have respective inner and outer surfaces. At least a portion of the inner surfaces of the sides forms respective first and second shoulders. The inner surfaces of the first and the second sides and the top define a cavity. A supporting tooling member is placed into at least one slot such that the tooling member is supporting at least one of the first and second profiles. The slider is placed on the fastener by opening one or more of the sections of the slider such that the first and second sides are at a sufficient distance to allow the insertion of the slider onto the first and second profiles. The slider is positioned into the cavity such that the first and second profiles are located above the respective first and second shoulders.